THE man behind plans to reopen air links between Teesside and London is a Nigerian businessman who claims he is “backed by God”, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Victor Bassey, who lives in a terraced house in Middlesbrough, said he is “supremely confident” Excelsis Airways will be a success – despite growing concerns.

The airline was due to start taking bookings for three daily flights between Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA) and London City Airport next month.

However, since details were announced in May, The Northern Echo can reveal: ● The company headquarters at Morton Palms business park, in Darlington, are empty and a lease is still to be signed; ● Job adverts on the Excelsis website have been copied from a Canadian airline’s site; ● A spokesman for London City Airport said it has not spoken to the new airline; ● The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has yet to receive an application for an operator’s licence.

Mr Bassey has until now remained anonymous.

Last night, in his first interview, he confirmed he was the founder of the airline and said he thought of the idea as long ago as 1984.

He said Excelsis employed 12 people and had the backing of three US private equity firms, adding: “When the time comes, everybody will see. I have a big backer in God.”

According to the businessman, his staff are attempting to acquire the necessary permission from the CAA.

He said Excelsis would initially “wet lease” its aircraft from a third party, meaning it could use its air operator’s certificate.

But Excelsis still needs the CAA to issue an operator’s licence and, according to the CAA, the company has yet to apply for one.

Mr Bassey said that obtaining a licence was proving difficult.

CAA rules state that 51 per cent of the company must be European owned.

He admitted some of the wording on the Excelsis website had been copied from a Canadian carrier, Porter Airlines.

He said this was an “embarrassing”

mistake for which he took personal responsibility, and he would need to do some “smoothing over” with Porter.

Mr Bassey said cabling work had begun at the Excelsis head office, and confirmed that no lease had been signed.

Although reluctant to discuss his personal life, Mr Bassey said his father was a pilot based in Perth, Scotland, and he “grew up in the business”.

He said he took his pilot’s licence when he was 17, although he stressed he is not a pilot by profession.

“I’m a strategist, a planner – that’s how I like it,” he said.

Mr Bassey pledged that the airline’s three senior executives – chief executive Andreas Blass, chief commercial officer Keith Watson and Andrew Bray, flight operations director – would be available for interview next week.

The airline initially said it was hoping to run a service from DTVA to Heathrow.

But an Excelsis spokesman later said that a shortage of landing slots meant this was not possible.

Bosses at Durham Tees Valley Airport confirmed they have held discussions with Excelsis, but no firm commitments have been made from either party.

Last night, a spokeswoman for London City Airport said it had not had any contact with Excelsis.

The CAA also confirmed that Excelsis had not applied for an operator’s licence.

Lee Scott, former operations manager at DTV and former chairman of the Darlington committee of the North-East Chamber of Commerce, said he was offered the position of Excelsis operations manager after two meetings with Mr Bassey.

He turned it down after becoming concerned about the scheme.

Mr Scott said: “I couldn’t get any kind of substance.

There was a lot of talk around the periphery.

“When it came to the nuts and bolts there wasn’t anything tangible.”

Richard Maslen, deputy editor of Airliner World magazine, said: “Setting up an airline is a very complicated process. There’s lots of rules that have to be followed, especially in the UK.”

Stan Abbott was the head of marketing at Newcastlebased Gill Airways and is now an aviation marketing consultant.

He said that the only comparable route out of London City Airport was a service to Dundee, which worked because it was the only reasonable way of getting to the Scottish city.

A spokesman for Porter Airlines confirmed it was aware details from its website had been copied.

“We are not taking it further,”

he said.